Job Description

The Vacuum, Surfaces and Coatings (VSC) group is in charge of the design, construction, operation, maintenance and development of the entire CERN vacuum systems. In this context it operates facilities for thin film coating, surface finishing and vacuum related physical and chemical characterization.

As a Chemical Technician in the Surface, Coatings, and Chemistry section (SCC) of the VSC group, your main activities will consist of:

• Performing chemical analyses on different materials (surface contaminations by oils, metals or polymers; polymer identification; quality control of gases and electrochemical baths; diagnostics for troubleshooting…) related to the CERN accelerators by operating the instrumentation of the chemistry laboratory (FTIR, XRF, DSC, ICP-OES, GC, …);
• Participating in the maintenance of the instrumentation of the laboratory;
• Documenting your results by written reports and presentations;
• Participating in the development of new analysis procedures.

More information here: https://te-dep.web.cern.ch/vacuum-surfaces-and-coatings-vsc

Who are we looking for

Skills and/or knowledge

• Diploma as a chemistry technician or equivalent;
• Practical knowledge of chemical analysis on organic and inorganic compounds;
• Positive teamwork attitude;
• Fluent in English, the ability to work in French would be an advantage.

Eligibility criteria:

• You are a national of a CERN Member or Associate Member State.
• By the application deadline, you have a maximum of two years of professional experience since graduation in Chemistry (or a related field) and your highest educational qualification is a general secondary education diploma.
• You have never had a CERN fellow or graduate contract before.
• Applicants with a Bachelor’s, Master’s or PhD degree are not eligible.

Additional Information

Job closing date: 7 November at 23h59 CET.

Job reference: TE-VSC-SCC-2024-168-GRAE

Contract duration: 24 months, with a possible extension up to 36 months maximum.

Target start date: 01-January-2025

This position involves:

• Work in Radiation Areas.
• Interventions in underground installations.
• Work during nights, Sundays and official holidays, when required by the needs of the Organization.

What we offer

• A monthly stipend of 4569 Swiss Francs (net of tax).
• Coverage by CERN’s comprehensive health scheme (for yourself, your spouse and children), and membership of the CERN Pension Fund.
• Depending on your individual circumstances: installation grant; family, child and infant allowances; payment of travel expenses at the beginning and end of contract.
• 30 days of paid leave per year.
• On-the-job and formal training at CERN as well as in-house language courses for English and/or French.

About us

At CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, physicists and engineers are probing the fundamental structure of the universe. Using the world’s largest and most complex scientific instruments, they study the basic constituents of matter – fundamental particles that are made to collide together at close to the speed of light. The process gives physicists clues about how particles interact, and provides insights into the fundamental laws of nature. Find out more on http://home.cern.

Diversity has been an integral part of CERN’s mission since its foundation and is an established value of the Organization. Employing a diverse workforce is central to our success.